Lightning, Tampa Bay Times Forum Set to Begin Ice Installation

The Tampa Bay Lightning and the Tampa Bay Times Forum will begin installing hockey ice on Thursday, August 29 at 9 a.m., the team announced today.

The process begins at 9 a.m. as the Times Forum staff will begin laying down a base coat of water on the concrete floor. Then at approximately noon they will start painting it a base white color. Around 2 p.m., they will begin painting all the hockey markings, followed by putting another layer over the painted ice.

The ice at the Times Forum will get broken in on September 4 and 5 when the Lightning will hold a pair of practices in preparation for the Coral Springs Rookie Tournament in which the team’s prospects are participating. The Bolts will play their first preseason game at the arena on Thursday, September 19 against the Nashville Predators at 7:30 p.m. The Lightning will kick off their regular season home schedule on Thursday, October 10 at 7:30 p.m. against the Florida Panthers. Tampa Bay’s training camp schedule and roster will be released at a later date.